CLEVELAND — On Thursday, we told you about a Twinsburg man who said a routine oil change at Take Five ended up costing him $10,000 -- when the technician forgot to put oil into his car, he drove off and the engine seized.
We started hearing from you on our Facebook page right away about your own experiences.
Mustafa said, "You might want to rethink going to them."
Sean said, "Take Five is the worst!"
John said, "I'd be talking to a lawyer."
"My car started running funny, so I wasn't sure what was going on and by the time I made it to my mechanic, it had completely shut off," Jontae Hubbard, of Cleveland, said.
"The car started making noises, and then it just stopped," James Abrams, of Twinsburg, told us. "We started to go up an incline, not even a quarter of a mile away, and from that point, the car completely stopped, it would not go in park, neutral, drive, anything."
Both Jontae Hubbard and James Abrams went to Take Five. Abrams went to the Twinsburg location, and Hubbard went to the South Euclid location. Now, mechanics have told them that they both need new engines.
"It’s wrong what they are doing."
Over the last year, 3News found that 23 people filed consumer complaints involving Take Five with the Ohio Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau.
After you file your complaints, retired Judge Michael Cicconetti said you might want to consider small claims court.
"Small claims court is a fairly simple process," retired Painesville Judge Michael Cicconetti said. "When you go to small claims court, you’re not going to the Judge Judy show. Be prepared to bring evidence with you. You must bring witnesses that can assist your case. You’ll go before a magistrate or a judge and you’ll state your case. It’s like a mini trial."
When is it worth it to go to small claims court?
"It’s worth going to small claims court when you know the defendant has money," he added. "If you go after a corporation, that corporation may be in Chicago but if the transaction took place in your court district, you can sue that individual in your court district."
Just remember—in Ohio, the small claims limit is $6,000.
How to file a Small Claim:
The Small Claims Division was established by the Ohio General Assembly in 1967 with the enactment of Chapter 1925 of the Ohio Revised Code. The division of the court was created to provide a more informal, expeditious and inexpensive means for individuals to pursue claims for smaller sums of money. The monetary limit is currently $6,000, exclusive of interest and costs.
- You do not need an attorney to file a small claims case; however, if you do not retain one, you assume ALL RESPONSIBILITY of the filing of your claim.
- The small claims limit is $6,000.
- A filing fee of $37 is required at the time of filing. Each additional defendant (person you are suing) costs $7.
- Please provide the complete names and addresses of all defendants and:
- Proof of your small claim
- Paid receipts
- Written estimates of damages or loss should reflect the amount you are asking in your claim. (Although this information is not needed at the time of filing, please come prepared with documentation which will be presented to the magistrate at the hearing).
- If you are filing against a business, it is suggested that you contact the Ohio Secretary of State to verify the following:
- Proper name of the business
- Proper name of the owner(s) of the business as registered with the Secretary of State’s office
- Is there an attorney or agent that represents the corporation